See how the deadly Texas flooding surged and search efforts unfolded
Photos and videos show how the water surged into Camp Mystic and other Kerr County communities, and how people have worked to rescue and recover the victims.
Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
Summary
A man conducts a search on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on Sunday. (Desiree Rios/For The Washington Post)
By Allyson Chiu and John Farrell
More than 100 people have been confirmed dead after floodwaters ravaged Central Texas during the early-morning hours of July 4. The scale of the devastation stands out even in a region known as “Flash Flood Alley.” Especially hard hit was Camp Mystic. The Christian all-girls camp said Monday that it was grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors.
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See how, in a matter of hours, water from the swollen Guadalupe River and its tributaries, which snake through the area’s scenic hills and valleys, surged into nearby campgrounds and communities, leading to one of the deadliest freshwater flooding events in decades.
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July 4
Unrelenting downpours stalled over parts of Texas Hill Country, dumping as much as 15 inches of rain in some areas late Thursday into Friday morning. Water cascaded down the steep terrain into the Guadalupe River basin. The dry soil and slick limestone couldn’t absorb it. So the river rose. Near a cluster of summer camps, the water rose about 30 feet in just under four hours, according to data from a river gauge in Hunt. By 7:45 a.m., downstream in Kerrville, the water level had jumped 34 feet.
Video recorded of the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas, shows flash flooding uproot trees and homes over the course of roughly 36 minutes. (Video: Gavin Walston via AP)
Floodwaters washed through homes and cars on July 4 as the Guadalupe River flooded in Kerrville, Texas. (Video: Adrian Hernandez via Storyful)
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued residents of Kerr County, Texas, from rising floodwaters on July 4. (Video: USCG Heartland via Storyful)
July 5
Rain continued into Saturday, complicating search-and-rescue efforts. A K-9 unit with the Texas Game Wardens conducts a search in a flood-damaged area near Camp Mystic. (Desiree Rios/For The Washington Post)
July 6
A Camp Mystic T-shirt found by a search-and-rescue volunteer along the Guadalupe River near Ingram, Texas. “I hope I find the person to return their belongings, not to find closure,” he said. (Danielle Villasana/For The Washington Post)
Floodwaters receded on July 6 in Ingram, Texas, revealing empty RV lots and destroyed vehicles. (Video: AP)
Wrecked vehicles and trailers litter the Guadalupe River in Kerrville. (Desiree Rios/For The Washington Post)
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July 7
People sort through the contents of cabins at Camp Mystic. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)
A muck-covered room at the camp shows how high the floodwaters reached. (Marco Bello/Reuters)
The floodwaters climbed past art projects hanging on the walls. (Marco Bello/Reuters)
Art supplies balance precariously on overturned tables. (Sergio Flores/Reuters)
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Pastel camp trunks are lined up outside. (Marco Bello/Reuters)
Thad Heartfield directs volunteer search-and-rescue teams by pointing at a makeshift map in the parking lot of Walmart in Kerrville. Heartfield’s son, Aidan, was swept away along with three friends from a house in Hunt. (Desiree Rios/For The Washington Post)
Rescue teams search the bottom of the Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas, on July 7. (Video: Reuters)
A heart formed from stones marks what was once the site of a cabin at Casa Bonita in Hunt. The bodies of two sisters who had been staying there, 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke Harber, were found holding hands. (Danielle Villasana/For The Washington Post)
July 8
The official death toll reached 109 people, including 30 children in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic is located. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said 161 people in the Kerr County area remain missing.
Flooding in Central Texas
The latest: At least 160 people are known to be missing and more than 100 people have been confirmed dead, including 28 children, after widespread flash flooding tore through Central Texas over the weekend.
How it happened: Around Kerr County, storms dumped four months’ worth of rainfall in just hours. The region is particularly prone to flash floods, but many people failed to receive or respond to flood alerts as rain intensified. Here’s a minute-by-minute look at how the floods unfolded, and what we know about the victims.
Summer camps: Many of the missing people are girls who were attending Camp Mystic, one of many summer camps in Texas Hill Country adjacent to or within high-risk flood zones. Parents and local authorities have been searching for them for days.
More on flooding
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By Allyson Chiu
Allyson Chiu is a reporter focusing on climate solutions for The Washington Post. She previously covered wellness and worked overnight on The Post's Morning Mix team.follow on X@_allysonchiu
By John Farrell
John Farrell is the video editor for the Climate & Weather team.follow on X@jafarrell17
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Political leaders as well as a lot of corporate leaders have done everything they could for a very long time to avoid addressing issues relaed to climate change.
The politicians in Texas have been a big part of this agenda.
Corporate leadeship in Texas has been in support of this agenda as well.
Peter Burgess
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